Judging by the fact that you’re reading this review, I can only assume that after coming across the Six Pack Shortcuts Program, you’ve been somewhat convinced by their particularly lengthy “sales” page and now, you’re wondering whether or not you should actually go ahead and purchase the program.

I’m also assuming that like me, it takes more than a well-written sales pitch to successfully convince you to part with $97 (that’s around £65) of your hard-earned cash with absolutely no proof (apart from Mike Chang’s own claims of course) that what you’re about to purchase is going to make the slightest bit of difference to your life and/or physique.

As my regular blog readers will already know, I hate bulls**t, especially when it comes to weight loss/workout scams (of which there are many) so therefore, I actually went ahead and purchased the Six Pack Shortcuts program myself with the aim of writing what I believe to be the first 100% honest, unbiased and truthful Six Pack Shortcuts review on the internet.

An Introduction To Six Pack Shortcuts

For the purpose of this review, I’m going to assume that you’ve already been briefly introduced to the Six Pack Shortcuts program by reading the content and watching the “free” video on the Six Pack Shortcuts website (if not, click here to watch it) so therefore, my introduction will be a kind-of “alternate” introduction to the program.

Developed by self-proclaimed fitness expert Mike Chang, the Six Pack Shortcuts program is essentially a training program that claims to offer a “proven system for getting in killer shape” by utilising something Mike likes to call the “afterburn effect” (we’ll explore the afterburn effect in more detail further on in the review).

The program is made-up of three parts (two of which are classed as “bonuses” on the Six Pack Shortcuts website); there’s the Afterburn Training Workout Plan, the Zero-Willpower Eating System (bonus #1) and the 24-week Advanced Fitness Coaching System (bonus #2).

Obviously, the main bulk of the program is based around the Afterburn Training Workout Plan but to be entirely honest, the Zero-Willpower Eating System is just as important (if not more important) than the workout plan. If you’ve read any of my other posts on the site, you’ll know just how much importance I place on a proper diet when it comes to training, so it’s nice to see that Mike also recognises the importance of this.

One of the other things I feel I should point out about the Six Pack Shortcuts program is that unlike pretty much every other workout program out there, it’s almost entirely video based. Aside from Six Pack Shortcuts, I’ve only ever come across fitness programs that are presented in an eBook format so it’s a nice change to simply be able to sit back and watch a few videos rather than study a lengthy 200+ page eBook (which honestly, no-one wants to have to do).

The Afterburn Training Workout

As I mentioned above, the Six Pack Shortcuts program is based around Mike Chang’s Afterburn Training Workout routine. When you login to the members area after purchasing the program, you’ll be presented with a pretty simplistic looking members website where you can watch all of the training videos that are included as part of the program (as pictured below).

As you can see from the screen grab, the training program is divided into four different phases, each of which lasts a varying number of weeks (between two and four). In each of the four phases, Mike has created a pre-planned five-day workout routine that incorporates a number of exercises designed around specific goals.

As the program is focussed around the Afterburn Effect, each of the workouts should take you no more than 30 – 45 minutes to complete which means that you’ll be in the gym no more than 3 – 4 hours a week. Obviously, this is great in theory but you’re probably wondering exactly what the Afterburn effect really is and how it can possibly work; so I’ve included a brief explanation below.

What Is The Afterburn Effect?

Although it might sound like a nonsense-term coined solely for marketing purposes, the afterburn effect is actually a well-known concept that recently, has been at the heart of a number of workout routines and fitness programs around the world. It’s also seen its fair share of research and as Mike quite rightly points out, has actually been proven to significantly aid in weight loss.

But what exactly is the Afterburn Effect? Well, in plain English, it’s the idea that by partaking in short intense workout sessions as opposed to long, consistent and often boring low-intensity workouts, you can actually kick-start the body’s metabolism and thus, burn more calories throughout the day without spending any extra time at the gym.

There was actually an official study carried out quite recently in which ten male subjects were used to investigate the impact of the Afterburn effect. For the experiment, they were subjected to just 45 minutes of vigorous exercise, after which, they rested for 24 hours.

It was discovered that for a total of 14 hours after partaking in the exercise, their metabolic rate stayed elevated and that on average, they each burned an extra 190 calories above normal resting level expenditure.

Essentially, the Afterburn Effect helps you burn more calories throughout the day, even when you’re not in the gym or working out, thus helping you to quickly shed fat and reveal your abs. So in theory, it has been proven to work.

What Are The Four Six Pack Shortcuts Phases?

Mike has actually been pretty clever in the way he’s chosen to organise the workout routine as he’s actually focussed on a slightly different goal in each of the four phases. Obviously, I don’t want to give too much away as that would be unfair to Mike (after all, I imagine he’s spent countless hours putting this program together) but here’s a brief overview of each of the four phases:

Phase One (Weeks 1 – 4): The first four weeks of the program are all about accelerating your metabolism using Mike’s high intensity exercises and workout routines. By following the initial stage of the program, you’ll be able to maximise the number of calories your body burns each day which will not only help you to lose weight, but also increase muscle mass.

Phase Two (Weeks 4 – 8): The next four weeks are focussed on really getting down to it and building some high quality muscle. Again, without wanting to give too much away, phase two is a little more diverse than phase one and will help you to significantly increase your strength as well as your physical appearance.

Phase Three (Weeks 9 – 10): At this point, you should have been following the intense Six Pack Shortcuts workout routine for around two months which, for a lot of people, is where they “hit a brick wall” and stop seeing results. To prevent this from happening, Mike really steps things up a notch in phase three and focuses on shocking your body with compound exercises and heavy weights.

Phase Four (Weeks 10 – 12): The final phase of the program is the most diverse and is primarily aimed at ensuring that you maintain muscle mass and also, get rid of any remaining flab from your waistline.

It seems to me that the main idea behind these four Six Pack Shortcuts phases is diversity, which is key for any workout routine. A lot of people don’t realise it but performing the exact same workout week-after-week is never going to get you anywhere as your body constantly needs to be shocked in order to switch-on the growth hormone. Remember, building muscle is a defence mechanism for the body so if you don’t give your body any reason to grow muscle (i.e. by shocking it into doing so), it’s not going to bother and you’ll stay the same size.

What’s The Verdict?

In theory, the Six Pack Shortcuts workout routine should lead to the intended/desired results for the majority of people, so long as you follow the workout routine exactly as it’s laid out.

If you start missing days or using weights that are far too light, you’re not going to see the results you might expect but to be honest, this will be the case no matter what workout routine you’re following. It’s important that you push yourself at all times.

Personally, I think that the fact the program has the word “shortcut” in the title is misleading. Sure, I understand that it’s key for marketing purposes but if you’re considering buying the program, you need to understand that in terms of training hard, there really is no shortcut. The only “shortcut” is that a well put-together workout routine has been created for you already as part of the Six Pack Shortcuts program and therefore, you don’t have to research this yourself.

The Zero-Willpower Eating System

In nearly all of the Six Pack Shortcuts reviews I read prior to writing this one (most of which were totally biased), the Zero-Willpower Eating System was hardly mentioned at all and to be honest, I think is absolutely crazy. As any nutritionist/fitness expert will be quick to tell you, the right diet is just as important as your workout routine when it comes to achieving any success at all in the gym.

Personally, I think that the Zero-Willpower Eating System is where the real genius lies in the Six Pack Shortcuts program. In fact (and I guarantee this is true), I actually use the Zero-Willpower Eating System myself as it saves so much time, it’s unreal. I don’t know why I never thought of doing it myself!

How Does The Zero-Willpower Eating System Work?

Again, I don’t want to give too much away as Mike really deserves for people to buy the Six Pack Shortcuts program for the eating system alone, but basically, it’s all about preparation.

In the Zero-Willpower Eating System (which is also presented in the video format by the way), Mike shows you how to prepare a whole week’s worth of healthy nutritious meals in just a couple of hours. The idea is that by preparing your entire week’s worth of meals all in one go, you’ll be able to save time throughout the week as it will simply be a case of reheating the meals that you’ve already prepared.

Of course, preparing absolutely every meal you’re ever going to eat in advance isn’t always possible. People eat out with friends and whatnot all the time and counting calories is no fun at all (believe me, I’ve tried it).

Luckily, Mike actually combats this problem by outlining five simple rules (which I won’t divulge) which you can use to quickly figure out whether a certain meal is healthy or not. He also outlines a rule he calls the “80/20″ rule which basically outlines a general rule of thumb stating that you should eat 80% healthy food and 20% just about whatever you like (so you don’t have to cut out the McDonald’s altogether!).

There are literally hours of in-depth videos included in the Six Pack Shortcuts program where Mike (and his friend) show you exactly how to cook all of the foods recommended as part of the Zero-Willpower Eating System, all of which are viewable through the Six Pack Shortcuts member site.

I should also point out that this food is in no way boring food either. We’re talking chicken, steaks, eggs and even “healthy” chips. So long as you’ve got a microwave and cooker/hob, you’ll be able to prepare all of this food in 2 – 3 hours maximum (including the washing up) and it’ll last you an entire week.

Truthfully, the whole eating system is a genius idea and it’s easy to see where the “Zero-Willpower” title came from. I personally find it a lot easier to resist eating unhealthy snacks and junk food by using the system as to prepare a “proper” meal for myself, all I have to do is to take it out of the freezer and put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

What’s The Verdict?

In my personal opinion, the Zero-Willpower Eating System is the smartest and most valuable part of the Six Pack Shortcuts program. It’s an easy way to make sure that you are actually getting enough protein in your diet and the best bit of all is that you don’t have to count calories (or any of that other boring stuff).

Apart from the fact that you’ll probably have to buy yourself a serious amount of Tupperware containers and that you might also run out of freezer space for such a vast amount of food, it’s a genius system and these videos alone are worth the $97 cost for the Six Pack Shortcuts program.

What Else Is Included In The Six Pack Shortcuts Program?

The Afterburn Workout and the Zero-Willpower Eating System are the two main parts of the Six Pack Shortcuts program in my opinion but Mike does include a few other bonuses that add to the value of the program too. Here’s a bit more information on them:

24-Week Advanced Fitness Coaching

One other part of the Six Pack Shortcuts program that Mike includes as a “bonus” is something called the 24-Week Advanced Fitness Coaching program.Essentially, this is where Mike will give you access to a new video every week showing advanced muscle building and fat loss tips.

When you purchase the Six Pack Shortcuts program, Mike will let you try this out for 30-days free of charge so essentially, you’re going to be able to view four of these advanced videos for free during the trial. You also get unlimited 1-on-1 coaching from Mike and his team included in this trial which means that if you have any questions at all, you can email them directly and they’ll respond accordingly.

To be honest, I wouldn’t like to say if their responses are any good or not as personally, I didn’t have any queries so I didn’t get chance to try it. However, considering that it’s free for 30-days, it’s a nice addition to the program and truthfully, the Six Pack Shortcuts program has gotten so popular that I imagine Mike has a team in place to answer these questions.

Exercise Vault

Strangely, this is only briefly mentioned on the Six Pack Shortcuts website which I find a bit strange as for me, I felt it was a big part of the program.

The Exercise Vault can be accessed through the members site and once again, is presented in a video format. Essentially, this is a library of every exercise that’s used in the Afterburn Training Program and for each exercise, Mike and his friend show you how to perform it correctly. This is extremely useful for ensuring that you don’t get any nasty injuries from performing the exercises incorrectly which surprisingly, a vast amount of gym users do.

There’s actually a good few hours of videos included in the Exercise Vault and considering the fact that there’s four different phases to the Six Pack Shortcuts program, it’s good to have a demonstration of each exercise that is used.

Conclusion; Is Six Pack Shortcuts A Scam?

To be honest, when I first started looking into the Six Pack Shortcuts program, I was expecting it to be a scam but having looked deeper into the program, it’s clear that by following the program properly, almost everyone should be able to get a six pack within the 12-week period.

It’s a fantastically well put-together program and as I mentioned earlier in the review, it’s worth the $97 price tag for the eating system alone as it’s absolutely genius in my opinion; in fact, I still use it to this day.

However, it’s important to remember that there never will be a shortcut to getting a six pack and although the Six Pack Shortcuts program is essentially marketed as a one, it still requires hard work. Your results will be directly proportionate to the level of effort you put into it but if you follow the Six Pack Shortcuts program as it’s laid out, I’d almost guarantee that you’ll get those six pack abs.

Considering the fact that hiring a personal trainer could, in some cases, easily cost $97 just for an hour, I truly believe that the Six Pack Shortcuts program is easily worth the $97 price and the fact that you can try it risk free for 60 days means that if you aren’t entirely happy, it won’t cost you a penny to try it.

One-to-One Six Pack Coaching

If you prefer a more personalised six pack program, why not hire me as your personal coach?

I’ll work with you to create a fully customised workout and diet plan with your goal(s) in mind. No workout templates. No generic diet plans. Everything is tailored for you and ONLY you. Check out my coaching page for more details.

He really has. It’s one of the best six pack shortcuts programs out there in my opinion, especially the “Zero Willpower Eating System” – genius!

Have you tried the program?

Stay lean, Josh

Dustin

Hey there!

I plan on using this program. But like everyone else; I’m skeptical.

I’m 15 and I’m about 230. (About 6 foot also) and want to use this program to lose my fat and after awhile the possibility of abs. If I follow this program to a T should I be able to achieve my goal? I know there isn’t a short cut, and that’s not what I’m looking for. But if I DO follow this program, after the 3 or 4 months ( probably a little more since I’m a bit outside the target users in terms of weight) will this be possible? It would be awesome being able to take my shirt off in public (and feeling great about it) for the very first time and being healthy.

I don’t blame you for being skeptical at all. After all, most of these “shortcut” programs are pretty poorly constructed and essentially, are just money-making cons.

As you just mentioned (and I believe I mentioned in my review), there really isn’t a shortcut to achieving such a physique, it takes a lot of time, effort and dedication, it’s certainly not easy by any stretch of the imagination. However, like I believe I also mentioned in the review, I think the word “shortcut” in this program is misleading. It makes it sound like a con whereas it’s actually a pretty well put together program. I actually still use the included eating plan in my own diet as it saves a huge amount of time.

I’m guessing from your measurements (6 foot and 230lbs) that you’re a little overweight at the moment? I think the Six Pack Shortcuts program would work well for you, especially the idea behind the eating plan. Perhaps the best thing about it is that it’s all video based, so you get to actually watch someone doing the workouts, rather than just reading about the exercises and having to Google them for yourself.

If you like, I could perhaps send you one of the workout videos included in the plan by email so you can see what kind of videos you’re getting as part of the plan? If you want me to, just email me at joshua (at) iwantasixpack (dot) com (I’m sure you can figure that out, I just wrote it like that to protect myself from getting spammed).

I hope that helps, Josh

Tony Gregg

Joshua, I think your review is spot on. I’m currently in Phase 2. I also must agree with you about the ingenious simplicity of the eating system, and that alone worth every penny of the program. This morning I woke up late, but still had a great meal with fish, brown rice and broccoli ready in 3 minutes. Where as before the system I might have skipped breakfast or choose an unhealth option. Mike should have sold it as an eating system with a bonus workout program. Mike’s use of the word ‘Shortcuts’ I know is for marketing, but the program is most definately Not a shortcut. I have found this program to be very intense, but it’s intensity that is self imposed thru weight and strict rest time management, all of which is discussed in much detail in the program. I find the videos so beneficial, seeing Mike and his buddy do the entire routine. And there are exercise guides and exercise substitution guides provided for every routine that I find very useful also. If there is anyone on the fence with this one, just get it. It will be money well spent. I was somewhat leary at first, but since purchasing the program, I could not be more happy with it.

Josh Hardwick

Hi Tony,

Thanks for your extremely kind comment, I really appreciate it (it took a lot of research to review this program properly as you can imagine!).

I completely agree with you about the program, I think it’s great, especially the eating program which I actually use myself to some extent.

As I mentioned in my review, I really do think the word “shortcuts” is misleading as you also pointed out. I know this is marketing but strangely, I think it’s doing more harm than good. The Six Pack Shortcuts landing page + lengthy video are pretty diabolical and make the product look like a scam, which is a shame as the content of the program is great.

Anyway, I’m glad you’re happy with the program and I hope you’re seeing the desired results.

Stay lean, josh

Asad

I want to start using the program mainly just for the Eating program seeing as thats really the only thing holding me back from achieving the results that I’m working towards. I was curious though because I can’t find a definitive answer anywhere. Is the $97 a one time fee or a monthly fee?

Josh Hardwick

Hi Asad,

Here’s the deal. The Six Pack Shortcuts program itself is available for a one-time fee of $97. However, when you purchase the program, you’re automatically signed up to a 14-day trial of Mike’s Advanced Fitness Coaching Program.

This is a separate product and if you don’t cancel this via the website (or via emailing Mike directly at mike@sixpackshortcuts.com), you’ll actually begin to be charged $97 a month for the next 5 months!

To prevent this from happening, I suggest simply cancelling this membership as soon as you purchase the program via the website (it’s just a couple of clicks if I remember rightly).

It’s important that you cancel it within the first 14 days of purchasing the program though, or you’ll be charged.

I hope that helps.

Stay lean, Josh

Asad

It really does help, thank you so much for the info! I’m definitely going to go for it now.

Josh Hardwick

No worries Asad, I’m glad I could help. Let me know if you have any other questions.

P.S. I get a tiny amount of commission if you purchase it through the link at the end of my review, so if you haven’t purchased it already, it would be greatly appreciated if you could click the link when you purchase

Stay lean, Josh

Finn

The only thing that cought me off guard was, Mike was saying you don’t need a gym. Then later on in the program you need equipment from a gym. I honestly don’t own any weights. Still, I did 3000 crunches a night for 9 months straight. I never saw my belly fat come off and I worked hard that year. It would be cool to finally get that off my bucket list because it is not the same thing to go to the beach without a six pack.

Josh Hardwick

Hi Finn,

If I remember rightly, isn’t there an alternate training guide in the members area for if you prefer to do the program at home? I think you do still need a few pieces of equipment (although Mike doesn’t point out what these are before joining the program) but I think it’s minimal.

In regards to your 3000 crunches a day, crunches don’t always lead to a reduction in ‘belly fat’. Chances are that you managed to significantly tone your abdominal muscles by doing that, but if they’re still covered by a layer of fat, they won’t be visible and you won’t end up with a six pack.

If you’re not able to lose belly fat, it usually means that you’re not burning enough calories (i.e. consuming more than you’re burning), so I’d recommend looking at your diet too (the Six Pack Shortcuts program might help with this).

It’s always difficult to know exactly what’s going wrong without some quite in-depth knowledge about you as an individual, but that’s usually the jist of it.

I hope that helps somewhat.

Josh

zarul

can u sent me how to purchased and stop the membership to avoid the charges continue for the next month.i want to buy this program but only the things i need to know.

Josh Hardwick

Hi Zarul,

You can avoid the recurring monthly membership charge ($67 per month) in a couple of ways. The easiest way is to click the cancellation option in the Six Pack Shortcuts member’s area. You’ll get access to this when you buy the program and cancelling can be done in just a couple of clicks.

If this fails, you can also cancel by emailing Mike directly at mike@sixpackshortcuts.com – all you need to say is that you want to cancel your membership to Mike’s Advanced Fitness Coaching Program, then wait for the response. You should receive a reply quite quickly.

I hope that helps,

Josh

Josh Hardwick

Hi James,

I believe it’s all online, it was when I did it. There could be an extra step at the checkout in which they ask you if you’d like a physical version (i.e. on CD/DVD) but if there isn’t, I’d assume it’s online.

Personally, I think it’s easier that way anyway as you get instant access and can watch the videos on your computer, iPhone, iPad, wherever.

Hope that helps.

Mat

Hi there Josh, just want to say that this is a fantastic review, I feel (correct me if I’m wrong) that this is directed more at people who struggle to lose weight. And that’s brilliant but I’m afraid being the opposite I wont see the same benefits. I have a small frame and have worked unbelievably hard to put almost two stone of pure muscle on. But with a crappy appetite and low energy levels I really find it difficult and have to rely so much on solid determination and motivating myself to push. This has got too much for me and I’ve found that my energy levels just don’t support me in any way and the sh**ty dieting techniques I’ve had to incorporate if anything just make it worse. The food programme looks unbelievably helpful and I hope that it can help me eat more, healthy and large quantities of food to elevate my energy levels. I want to be able to put more weight on so that I can try and feel confident and be able to ride a large motorbike confidently. When I listened to the entire abomination of a sales pitch, it was only the actual facts that really pricked my ears up. You’re review has given me the confidence to buy this product after I sought out the freezer space issue. (living in a family of 5 can make this problematic hahah) I really enjoyed your review and it has shown you’re also extremely credible and aren’t willing to sell out to hype. If you think this can help me put more weight on that would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou, Mat.

Josh Hardwick

Hi Mat,

Thanks, I’m glad you liked the review; I tried to make it as honest as possible.

Believe me, I’m more than aware that the whole program looks like a scam; I hate those long videos and sales pages and I really think they’re doing themselves no favours by making it look, quite frankly, like a sh*tty scam. Behind the horrible sales page though, the program is actually pretty good, especially for the price.

Anyway, from what you’ve said, you sound like a classic ectomorph, so I guess you’ll always find it more difficult to ‘bulk up’ than people with other body types. However, the plus side is that it should be easy to keep your body fat percentage pretty low, so your abs should be visible if you can just work on the bulking side of things.

The program should help you to bulk up and gain muscle, especially after the first phase when things start to intensify a bit. You just need to make sure you’re eating the right things and getting plenty of protein, which the “zero-willpower eating system” takes care of. The good thing is that it isn’t a crazily strict diet plan either; it’s more a set of rough guidelines on both diet and preparation.

My advice would be to give it a shot. There is actually a 60-day money back guarantee so if you watch the videos and really feel they’re not for you, you can just email them and get your money back, so there’s not really anything to lose.

I hope that helps, just give me a shout if you have any other questions; my person email is joshua[at]iwantasixpack[dot]com – just replace the brackets with the “@” and “.” respectively

Josh

Mat

Thankyou very much Josh you’ve been more than helpful and yes hahah I am a classic ectomorph, I’m not going to lie and say I don’t have a little envy over mesomorphs haha but I cant wait to get started. I noticed one of your other replies where it said you get a small commission if people buy through your link so would you be able to give me that link? you thoroughly deserve it thanks again, Mat

Josh Hardwick

No worries, glad I could help!

That link I posted in my reply should be the one that gets me a bit of commission. Sorry, I did mean to mention that but completely forgot; I had a disclaimer on here that mentioned the odd links gets me a bit of commission, but it seems to have disappeared as I’ve been playing with the sites design just recently. I’ll get it sorted!